20 CIRCULAR 824, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
ference of the knee. No association was found between them. So 
few horses showed fatigue that it was clear that a more severe test 
would be required if the scores for this character were to be used as a 
measure of endurance. 
EaszE OF RIDING 
Rider scores for ease of handling, performance of gait, and ease of 
gait to the rider were significantly associated with one another. 
Horses that performed the gait well were generally scored as easy to 
handle and had an easy gait from the standpoint of the rider (tables 
8, 138, 15, and 18). In addition to these, the following associations 
were found: Ease of handling at the walk was significantly associated 
with length of stride at the walk (table 13), temperament (table 14), 
and general conformation (table 18). Ease of handling at the trot 
was significantly associated with action at the walk (table 18), 
temperament (table 14), and height at withers (table 18). Ease of 
handling at the canter was significantly associated with scores for 
style, head, and temperament (table 18). 
Horses given the best scores for ease of handling at the walk, on 
the average, walked significantly faster than those given poor scores 
(table 13). Four horses given the highest scores on general con- 
formation had the best average score for ease of handling at the 
walk, and three horses with the lowest score for general conformation 
had the poorest average score for ease of handling. Scores for 
intermediate classes, however, did not show a consistent trend. In 
general, horses receiving intermediate scores for temperament were 
the easiest to handle at the walk (table 14). The association between 
action at the walk and ease of handling at the walk was not quite 
significant (table 7). In general, horses with the best action were 
easier to handle than those with medium action. Horses with low 
scores for action were not consistent for ease of handling. 
Straight, snappy action at the walk was more closely associated 
with easy handling at the trot than was medium action. The few 
horses that had the poorest action were not consistent. Horses that 
were easiest to handle at the trot were intermediate in height at 
withers. Fatigue, as measured by the score for condition at the end 
of the 11.35-mile test, was on the average not quite significantly 
associated with ease of handling at the trot. The three horses with 
the lowest scores on general conformation were on the average much 
harder to handle at the trot than the others. 
Although differences in style and head were significantly associated 
with ease of handling at the canter, the results were not consistent. 
Horses with an intermediate score for temperament were most easily 
handled at the canter. The association of differences in general con- 
formation and ease of handling at the canter approached significance. 
There was, however, no consistent trend in the means except that the 
3 horses with the lowest score for general conformation were much 
harder to handle than the other 60 horses. 
